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Monday, July 7, 2014

Brought by an Angel

Hypothetical situation: if God Himself wanted to get a book out to everyone, and sent it down in the hands of angels for all the earth to read, would you read it? Would you have that in your remembrance each time you opened those up? Would you want to make sure you had those words come into your mind and into your heart every day?

Well, if you would do that, why not read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ that way?

The Book of Mormon is the greatest miracle the world has known! Countless millions have read the book, and it has changed their lives. The harshest critics of the book have, at most, skimmed a few pages casually. It is the only way to find the true joy of the everlasting gospel of the Father.

The Book is filled with the mighty promises of the Lord which he made to the remnant of Israel. It has come forth as a tool to gather out the dispersed of Ephraim, Manasseh, Reuben, and the other tribes of Israel, and in due course will come to the Jews: for "the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews" (2 Nephi 29:13).

The Book of Mormon is a record of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas (compiled by a Nephite prophet named Mormon and his son Moroni). Through these holy and just men, the records of most worth of the sacred history of the people was preserved: things that would help us in our day. The Prophet Ezra Taft Benson once said, "The Book of Mormon was written for us today. God is the author of the book. It is a record of a fallen people, compiled by inspired men for our blessing. Those people never had the book—it was meant for us. Mormon, the ancient prophet after whom the book is named, abridged centuries of records. God, who knows the end from the beginning, told him what to include in his abridgment that we would need for our day. Mormon turned the records over to his son Moroni, the last recorder; and Moroni, writing over 1,500 years ago but speaking to us today, states: “Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.” (Morm. 8:35.)" (http://goo.gl/nsuwtv).

Angels brought the book forth to light to ensure that you could read the book, and come to feel of the truthfulness of the message of the Restoration of Christ's church to the earth. It is here to declare to the four quarters of the earth that the Savior's return is nigh, and that the Gathering of Israel has commenced on the earth.

The Book of Mormon teaches the divine plan of happiness. It teaches the need for the Fall and the Creation. Most importantly: it sheds greater light on the greatest, most important, event ever to happen: The Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where can you find a more direct statement than from Alma 7:11-13:

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

Save possibly the words of Lehi in 2 Nephi 2:6-9:

Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

Where do we find the fruits of the Atonement in greater clarity than in the words of Moroni 10:32-33:

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

Save it be in the words of Jacob 4:11:

Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.

Find me another passage in all of holy writ that rivals these teachings! They cannot be found! Sure, there are good scriptures: I love John 3:16-17! But the power of the word is found most purely in The Book of Mormon and the modern revelations.

We live in a day of revelations. In the words of one of the most beloved hymns of the Restoration:

The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!

The latter-day glory begins to come forth;

The visions and blessings of old are returning,

And angels are coming to visit the earth.Do you really believe that? Honestly, think of that for a moment: Do you really believe that Angels are coming to visit the earth?If so, every night you should be showering your pillows with tears of gratitude for the priceless gift of The Book of Mormon. If not, then you haven't read The Book of Mormon. I invite you, whether you have never read it or have read it once, or if you have read it a million times, to read The Book of Mormon again: make it a daily occurrence that you are in that book. I promise you that as you do, the power of the book will sink deep into your heart, and you will come to know the truthfulness thereof.For those of you who are questioning why you should read it, I have one thought for you. Do angels come to the earth on trivial matters?

They do not: every instance where an Angel has come, it has been a matter of great importance. If The Book of Mormon was brought to earth by an angel, then it is of the greatest importance for you to read it: it is more important than eating, than sleeping, and even than breathing. If it was not brought by an angel, well, the only way to find that out is to ask God, for only God can answer questions about His angels, and He won't give an answer until you have put in the effort to obtain his words.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "The stationariness of religion; the assumption that the age of inspiration is past, that the Bible is closed; the fear of degrading the character of Jesus by representing him as a man; indicate with sufficient clearness the falsehood of our theology. It is the office of a true teacher to show us that God is, not was; that He speaketh, not spake."

That is our message to the world, the heavens are not closed! God speaks to man today, as in days of old! All we ask is that you come and see! Come and read The book brought by an angel!